Re: Is this a bad way to learn?
I second that motion. See an instructor if you can, even if it's just a couple of times a month. That will help you to see if you're on the right path. So much of drumming is visual, so it's hard to say just from your description if you're totally on the right track. Starting on the rudiments is defintely a step in the right direction though!
I want to clarify this right away though; you can learn drums without a teacher, and many people do. I'm not trying to say like, "you have to have a teacher in order to be able to play." The main thing is having someone who can kind of coach you on grips and posture... the little things like that. I was one of those who learned drums without a teacher; I had gotten pretty good, but I had a lot of bad habits. My grip was pretty lousy and my posture was bad. In the long run, they have caused me some pretty serious wrist problems (basically, I'm on the brink of having carpal tunnel syndrome) and some pretty serious lower back problems from years and years of slouching at the set. Like Jazz_Rock_Feel said, it's just good to get those things ironed out.
Good luck, work hard, and more importantly HAVE FUN!  |